Kale as a Goitrogenic Food

Kale is sometimes referred to as a goitrogenic food. Yet, contrary to popular belief, according to the latest studies, foods themselvesandkale included and are not goitrogenic in the sense of causing goiter whenever they are consumed, or even when they are consumed in excess. In fact, most foods that are commonly called goitrogenic and such as the cruciferous vegetables (including kale, broccoli, and cauliflower) and soyfoods and do not interfere with thyroid function in healthy persons even when they are consumed on a daily basis. Nor is it scientifically correct to say that foods contain goitrogens, at least not if you are thinking about goitrogens as a category of substances like proteins, carbohydrates, or vitamins. With respect to the health of our thyroid gland, all that can be contained in a food are nutrients that provide us with a variety of health benefits but which, under certain circumstances, can also interfere with thyroid function. The term goitrogenic food makes it sound as if something is wrong with the food, but that is simply not the case. What causes problems for certain individuals is not the food itself but the mismatched nature of certain substances within the food to their unique health circumstances.